Irreverently Reverend

  Third Sunday of Easter Then I looked, and I heard the sound of many angels surrounding the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. They numbered in the millions—thousands upon thousands.  12  They said in a loud voice, “Worthy is the slaughtered Lamb         to receive power, wealth, wisdom, and might,         and honor, glory, and blessing.” 13  And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea —I heard everything everywhere say, “Blessing, honor, glory, and power belong to the one seated on the throne     and to the Lamb         forever and always.” 14  Then the four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshipped.   (CEB)             Christ is risen!   Christ is risen indeed! ...

  Fifth Sunday of Easter 7-10  My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God. 11-12  My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love! 13-16  This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s giv...

  Fourth Sunday of Easter 16  This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.  17  If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?  18  Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19  This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence:  20  If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.  21  Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God  22  and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.  23  And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one ano...

  Third Sunday of Easter See what kind of love the Father has given to us in that we should be called God’s children, and that is what we are! Because the world didn’t recognize him, it doesn’t recognize us. 2  Dear friends, now we are God’s children, and it hasn’t yet appeared what we will be. We know that when he appears we will be like him because we’ll see him as he is.  3  And all who have this hope in him purify themselves even as he is pure.  4  Every person who practices sin commits an act of rebellion, and sin is rebellion .  5  You know that he appeared to take away sins, and there is no sin in him.  6  Every person who remains in relationship to him does not sin. Any person who sins has not seen him or known him. 7  Little children, make sure no one deceives you. The person who practices righteousness is righteous, in the same way that Jesus is righteous. (CEB)          ...